Is the Kato V11concrete tie double track compatible with double track piers?

[kmcsjr]

Folks

I'd like to do a unitrak up and over. I don't want to block the wheels on my trains with the viaduct sides. Can the ground level concrete tie double track mate with the double track inclines and piers? I know the single track ground track isn't compatible with inclines and piers.

Thanks

[KenS]

No. Viaduct sections connect to the piers using Kato's S-joiners (big white nylon plastic snap-fit connectors).  There are holes in both the viaduct and pier for those.  The track itself connects to the viaduct using small rectangular tabs on the viaduct that mate with the underside of the curved track.

 

You could rest the track atop the piers, but gluing it would be hard, as the track slopes and the pier top does not (the S-joiners allow for that kind of difference with the viaduct).

 

However, I'm not sure if that's what you're asking.  The track itself is all the same Unitrack, so a gound-level (concrete or wood it doesn't matter) bit of track can snap directly into the Unitrack on the viaduct.  In fact, the track on the viaduct can be removed and used as ground level track (I did this, back when it was hard to find concrete-tie track without viaducts).

 

I don't understand the bit about wheels and viaduct sides.  The typical problem with viaducts is that on sharp curves, longer cars can hit the side of the single-track viaduct (double-track isn't likely to have that problem as it's wider, and has gentler curves). But it's the car body that hits, typically in the middle of the car.

[kmcsjr]

Ken,

Thanks for the response. By blocking the wheels, I mean, doesnt the viaduct stuff have sides similar to a girder bridge? I don't want to block detail on steamer wheels with the walls.

From the pics I can find I was hoping double track rested on piers differently than single track.

[clem24]

Yeah I am not sure exactly what your question is... But the double track concrete piers mate perfectly to single track viaduct if that's what you're wondering, and vice versa. Even the catenary supports on the double track concrete piers work with single track but this one I believe not the other way around.

 

Maybe your question refers to the first piece/lowest piece of the pier incline sets? These use an S-Joiner flipped upside down to hold the track in... I am fairly confident the double incline one works with single track, but I think the single one (has the stairs molded on the side) does not work with double track but I can verify when I get home tonight, if this is your question...

[Hobby Dreamer]

Hi kmcsjr 

 

I understood exactly what you meant - which is scary because I know squat.

 

I guess the piers have a pivot that the track slopes on (makes sense as this allows for different slope angles), and the track clips to this pivot but maybe a bit of plasticine between the track and pier would allow the fit and  have enough grip to hold the track. (if not plasticine, maybe something equivalent).

 

You might want to hide the plasticine so maybe a bit of paper or similar would do that but it may not be a biggy unless you can see under the pier..

 

This track http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10013284 (poor photo) has a bit of railing so would look OK as a viaduct, you could see most of the train wheels (which is what you want) and in a photo in the catalog it looks like there is a bit of under-hang to hide the plasticine etc

 

Here are 2 links for a somewhat similar question:

http://www.trainboard.com/grapevine/showthread.php?t=78259

http://forum.atlasrr.com/forum/topic.asp?ARCHIVE=true&TOPIC_ID=29608

 

And a better photo

http://www.nscalesupply.com/kat/KAT-UnitrackDoubleTrackPlate.html

 

 

If these are piers you meant http://www.katousa.com/images/23-046.jpg, then you can understand the clip and the plasticine solution...

 

 

Hope this helps..

Rick

[kmcsjr]

Thanks all

It's tough to form a question before you know how much you don't know...

From what I've read, it looks like all unitrak is basically compatible with all unitrak.

But, once I want to leave ground level, in need viaduct pieces to attach to piers.

From ground to the first viaduct piece, I need a transition piece. This piece can be any unitrak.

I'm gonna keep thinking.

[KenS]

Kato actually makes a special double-track transition ramp (which they sell with some of their sets) for the ground-to-viaduct transiton.  I don't know if they make a similar single-track element (I don't have a single-track viaduct set, just a couple of separate single=track viaduct sections I used for bridges (and yes, they look a lot like girder bridges and will block your view of the wheels from the side).

 

If you want to see the train from the side, you can use either the 124mm Deck Plate Girder Bridge (single track, available in a couple of colors), which has a low rail on one side and no rail on the other, or you could use the 248mm Truss Bridge (available in single-track and double-track versions, in several colors), which has vertical girders, but is mostly open. All of these take S-joiners and can mate to the piers.